For those who have the money, the Bay Area is by far the nicest place to live in California.
SmartAsset ranked the state’s best cities, factoring in home values, household income, and local unemployment and poverty rates. Seven of the 10 best places were in the Bay Area, including Dublin, Foster City, Cupertino.
The top-ranked city, San Ramon, which is home to the national or regional headquarters for companies such as Chevron, 24-Hour Fitness, AT&T, and and the Global Software Center for G.E.
The city has a median home value of $754,700. The median income in San Ramon is $128,916 and just 4.2% of the population lives under the poverty line. The unemployment rate is low (5.1%), as you might expect in a city with so many large employers.
Advertisement
Related Stories
Market Data + Trends
Vacation and Investment Home Market Insights
A recent report finds beach homes to be the most sought-after vacation-home type and that the investment potential of a second home is an important factor in the purchasing decision
Affordability
How Much Income Do First-Time Buyers Need to Afford the Average Home?
The median-priced home is unaffordable in 44 of the 50 largest U.S. metro areas
Affordability
What Is the Relationship Between Urban vs. Suburban Development and Affordability?
A new paper from Harvard's Joint Center looks at whether expanding the supply of suburban housing could, in turn, help make dense urban areas more affordable